The Blog

CQ Follows Rothenberg, Makes Mass. a 'Toss Up'

Winnable?

1:39 PM, Jan 15, 2010 • By MARY KATHARINE HAM
Single Page Print Larger Text Smaller Text Alerts

Echoing Stuart Rothenberg's switch on the race, which cited Democratic "desperation" in part, CQ moves the Massachusetts senate race to the "toss-up" column today:

Massachusetts is a predominately Democratic state, and Democratic nominee Martha Coakley, the sitting state attorney general, started the race with built-in advantages that haven't produced the walkaway victory her party expected.

Political insiders have become increasingly convinced that the race is too close to call, and polling in the state has produced wildly disparate conclusions. On Thursday, one survey found Brown, a state senator, trailing by 8 points and another found him leading by 4 points.

What's clear from the analyzing the polling data as a whole is that the race has tightened to the point where it is not possible to say one candidate has a clear edge over the other.

Coakley maintains a structural advantage, but momentum and Coakley's copious gaffes are in Brown's favor, making the race too close to call, despite the heavy blue nature of the state and involvement by high-profile Democrats, like Bill Clinton.

More by Mary Katharine Ham

 

The Weekly Standard Archives

Browse 15 Years of the Weekly Standard

Old covers

Recent Blog Posts

Andrew jackson head

Morning Jay: Appalachia and the Democratic Party's Identity Crisis

Classic martini by Ken30684

Happy Hour Links: Straight Teeth and Husbands

Dewhurst, Cruz

In Texas, Cruz Fights for Runoff

Warren Fights Media Questions about Heritage